The British Petroleum Oil Spill versus the Spills in the Persian Gulf
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07.11.2010 Guest of the Week: Dr. Muhammad Sahimi Professor of Chemical Engineering & Materials Science NIOC Chair in Petroleum Engineering, University of Southern California Host: Dr. Ali Akbari |
Much has been said about the oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico by the British Petroleum (BP). What has not been mentioned at all is the pollution that has been accumulating in the Persian Gulf since at least the 1980s, by the American oil companies, the BP itself, and the United States 5th fleet with headquarters in Bahrain. In addition, BP created another spill with a legacy that is still with us: This is the same company - under the name Anglo-Persian (later Anglo-Iranian) oil company - that gave rise to the 1953 coup that overthrew the democratically-elected government of Iran's national hero, Dr. Mohammad Mosaddegh. These issues will be discussed.
Dr. Muhammad Sahimi is professor of chemical engineering and materials science, and the NIOC Chair in petroleum engineering at the University of Southern California. He received his B.S. from the University of Tehran in 1977 and his Ph.D. from the University of Minnesota in 1984, both in chemical engineering. He has been a faculty member at USC since 1984, where he was the Chair of his department from 1999-2005, as well as a visiting professor in Australia, Europe, the U.S., and the Middle East. He has also been a consultant to many industrial corporations. His research has resulted in over 340 peer-reviewed papers published in science journals and four books. He has received awards from USC, the American Physical Society, and the Humboldt Foundation. In addition to his scientific research, he has been publishing political articles about Iran's internal developments and its nuclear program in both the print media and on major websites. He is currently the political columnist for PBS/Fronline/Tehran Bureau website, as well as a blogger at www.antiwar.com and www.Huffingtonpost.com